


Here And Now

by esteel



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Wedding, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 13:47:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20583491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esteel/pseuds/esteel
Summary: The sequel to Been Loving You Too Long.The title is taken from the song, Here and Now, by Luther Vandross





	1. The Best Men

**Author's Note:**

> Ian and Mickey choose their best men.
> 
> The choice is more complicated for Ian.

Ian and Lip were sitting in the ancient, rusted out van in the backyard, smoking a joint.  
“I wanna talk to you about something, Lip. Has to do with the wedding ceremony”.

“Sure, man. Whatever you need me to do, it’s done. But Ian, are you sure about this shit? You’re tying yourself to him, legally and shit. Be a bitch to get out of it”.

Ian rolled his eyes, “That’s the point, Lip. We wanna be legally bound to each other. We love each other, why can’t you accept that? He makes me happy, I make him happy. We want to live our lives together, man”.

“I just think you can do better, Ian. You got so much going for you. All your hard work is finally paying off. I just don’t want you to get caught up in Mickey’s thug bullshit”.

“Thug bullshit? He’s a fucking department head at the hospital, Lip. How is that thug bullshit, huh? His departments are among the most productive in the fucking hospital. As usual, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You’re letting your hatred overrule your common sense, man,” Ian said, his agitation obvious.

“Whatever, man. What do you need me to do”?

“We got everything covered. I just wanted to tell you that I’m gonna ask Carl to be my best man,” Ian said.

Lip was shocked, “What? Carl? The fuck? Why”?

“You hate Mick for one thing, and you don’t think the marriage will last, you’re talking divorce before we even get married. We don’t need the negativity, Lip. We’re trying to build a future, a happy future. Carl has always been supportive of our relationship. Unlike you, he’s happy that we’re finally getting married. He wishes us well, man”.

Lip’s instinct was to get mad. He was the oldest brother, the honor rightfully belonged to him. But at his core, he was a logical person, he didn’t always act like it, but he was. He knew that Carl was the right choice. He remembered how Carl stood up to them all defending Ian and Mickey’s relationship. Yeah, Carl was the right fucking choice.

He looked over at Ian with tears in his eyes, “Good choice, brother. I support it 100%. Carl is the right choice. You told him yet”?

Ian put his arm around his brother’s shoulders, “No. I wanted to talk to you first. Didn’t want you to be caught unawares and shit. I love you, Lip. You mean so much to me”.

Lip was sobbing by now, Ian gathered him in his arms and hugged him tight,

“It’s alright, Lip. I know you love me and want what’s best for me. Mickey is what’s best for me”.

Lip composed himself, “I’ll do better. Promise. But know that I wish you well. I’ll always wish you well”.

Ian smiled, “Thanks, Lip”.

Carl eagerly told Ian he would be proud to be his best man. He immediately grabbed his laptop saying he needed to research his duties, as this was his first time being a best man. 

Mickey was sitting in Iggy’s kitchen having a similar conversation. Iggy was feeding his baby daughter an orange. 

He asked, “So what up Mick? Whatever you need, man”.

Mickey made a funny face at his niece, laughing at her when she giggled. She was one of his favorite people. Maybe Ian was right, kids do like him.

He gave his attention to Iggy, “Was wondering if you’d stand up for me? Be my best man and shit”?

Iggy dropped the orange slice he was holding on the floor. He was speechless,  
“Me? You want me to be your best man? At your wedding? Ah, man. Fuck, Mickey”. 

Mickey laughed and quickly handed him another orange slice before the kid started fussing. “Yeah Iggy. I’m asking you to be my best man at the fucking wedding. Will you do it”?

“Fuck. Yes, Mick. Be happy to stand up for you, man. Be proud to,” he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.

“Get back to you with the details. I wanna pay for your suit and shit. You got a family to support. My wedding gift to you”.

Iggy was confused, “I don’t think you’re s’posed to give me a wedding gift, Mick. Think you got the shit confused, man”.

Mickey laughed, “New fucking tradition, man. Just go with it, asshole. Gotta run. Say hi to Tanya”. 

He winked at his niece who was babbling as she squished a bit of orange between her little fingers. Iggy sat there in wonder. Mickey wanted him to be his best man. Him. That was some impressive shit. He couldn’t wait for Tanya to get home so he could give her the news.


	2. Wedding Plans

The wedding would be held on Sara’s estate. There was more than enough space to accommodate their needs, and they very much wanted to get married there. The grounds were beautiful in the spring. 

The only problem they saw was the parking. As usual, Sara took care of everything with one fucking phone call. She contacted the neighborhood association and was assured that parking wouldn’t be a problem, no other events were planned for their wedding day.   
She explained that her neighbors frequently hosted events that required additional parking space. They simply used each other’s property, including area business parking. The association contracted a parking company for such occasions, and they would handle everything. Simple. 

With that settled, Mickey refused to be involved with the wedding planning, with a few exceptions, and he was particularly adamant about one.   
He insisted that his name be listed first on the invitation. He told Ian, “I did the fucking proposing. I’m the proposer, you’re the proposee”.

“Is that even a word, Mick? I don’t think so. As usual, you’re making shit up, but it’s fine. Your name can be first, baby,” Ian told him, laughing.

Mickey rolled his eyes, “Figured you’d say that, Mr. Vocabulary. It’s a fucking word. I googled the shit. Not used a lot, but it’s here. Come look,” he said as he opened the laptop.

Ian shook his head and made himself comfortable in Mickey’s lap and read what he was showing him. He said, “Ok princess, you’re right. I’m the proposee, and you’re my brilliant fiancé, soon to be my brilliant husband,” he said, kissing him soundly.

Mickey had specific demands for the cake, also. He wanted a fucking chocolate cake. 

“Chocolate cake is my favorite, you know that, Ian. You buy it for me all the time. Why you acting all surprised, scandalized and shit”?

Ian laughed, “No baby, I’m not scandalized. It’s just that not everybody is a fool for chocolate like you. We gotta consider our guests and shit. We’re inviting them to attend, after all. We want them to be satisfied”.

“Fuck that. So what if they don’t like the fucking cake? We’re gonna feed them fucking dinner. Already giving them fucking choices about the entrée and shit. They get to choose what they eat and don’t gotta pay for shit. Already told them to make donations to kid’s wing at the hospital in lieu of fucking gifts. How many you think gonna follow through with that shit, huh? ‘Specially those fuckers from the neighborhood. Getting off scot free. Probably be hiding out in all those rooms in Sara’s house for months. She’ll have to call the fucking cops to round ‘em all up outta there. And don’t get me started on the fucking open bar bull shit. That’s a good fucking deal if you ask me. I bet if you asked them to choose between the fucking cake of their choice and the fucking booze of their choice, fucking booze will win, hands down”. 

Ian was doubled over laughing, holding his side “Ok, Mick. I take your point. How ‘bout one chocolate tier, just for you? They got a buttermilk chocolate that sounds good. I think you’ll like it, baby”. 

He thought about it for a minute, “I want chocolate icing, too”.

“How about a chocolate mousse filling for your tier? I’m thinking that English lemon curd filling he was talking about for the other tiers. You’ll still have your fucking chocolate cake with chocolate filling”.

“How many damn tiers we getting, again”?

“We said five, Mickey. Enough for a 100 people, remember”?

Mickey rolled his eyes as he thought back to planning the guest list. 

Sara and Mandy were in charge of everything. At some point, Charles became involved. The three of them had worked together on the fundraiser, so they welcomed his help. Mickey was mildly surprised knowing how Charles felt about Ian.   
Although, he had noticed a stark change in the guy’s attitude around the time of the fundraiser. He was no longer hostile, in fact, he went out of his way to be friendly. Mickey wanted to ask Ian about it but decided not to. It was clear to him that Ian had finally spoken to the guy, and if he wanted to confide in Mickey, he would’ve done so. It was best for him to stay the fuck out of it. 

They were all sprawled around the apartment trying to compose the guest list and to Mickey’s horror, it kept growing. Ian was munching popcorn and every time he swallowed a mouthful, he came up with another fucking name. Mickey got up and went to the bar for the 5th of Jack, and remembering that Ian recently started drinking Jameson, he grabbed that, too.

He took the glasses down and sat everything on the kitchen counter. He poured drinks for himself and Ian, “Y’all on your own. Ice, Coke, 7 up and shit in the fridge”. 

Ian had added at least ten more names while he was getting the booze, so he said, “Got a novel idea. Why don’t we just take out a fucking front-page, above the fold ad, in the fucking Chicago Tribune. Be much simpler. Then every fucker in Chicago can come”. 

Ian laughed loudly, Mandy rolled her eyes, and Charles tittered. 

Sara turned to face him with a piercing look and said shortly, “You’re not helping, Mick. This is serious business. No time for stand-up comedy".

Ian and Mandy laughed loudly. Mickey was Sara’s boy, he could do no fucking wrong. No matter what he did, it wasn’t fucking wrong. 

Charles was confused. He was still learning the dynamics among this group. He loved being with them and was grateful they accepted him so willingly. He had figured out that Mickey and Sara were very close, had history of some sort. She was close with Ian too, but it was different with Mickey. Sara and Mandy were close, but their relationship seemed new. Mandy looked up to Sara, wanted her approval. Sara was always gentle with her, encouraging her, complimenting her. It was interesting watching it all play out.

Mickey blushed and looked at Sara, “Just saying. Ian keeps coming up with names. People I never even heard of. He probably don’t know ‘em either”.

Sara leaned over and kissed his cheek, winking at Ian, “Ok Mickey. You’ll be able to fine tune the list once we’re done. Is that ok"? 

“That’s fine, Sara,” he said, smiling and flipping everyone else off as he sipped his drink.

They all, including Mickey, settled on a hundred people. Although, he had to have the last word, “We don’t know a fucking hundred people between us, and you know it, Ian”. 

Ian simply smiled fondly at his grumpy ass man. His soon to be grumpy ass husband.


	3. The Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best men encounter uninvited guests.

Iggy rushed to the front of the property with Carl hot on his heels. One of the parking attendants called about a problem with uninvited guests. This best man shit was serious, he and Carl had been running their asses off all day. But he loved every fucking minute of it. Mick depended on him to take care of shit. He was important, every motherfucker here knew he was a fucking best man.  
When he got dressed in the fancy shit Mickey bought him from that expensive ass store, (Mickey called it a ‘Men’s Shop), Tanya said he was dashing. Imagine that shit. 

He walked up to the guy, “What up, man?” he asked.

“Coupla guys asked for you. Say they’re your brothers, man. Names not on my list,” he nodded to Jamie and Joey who were standing uncomfortably near their beat-up truck. 

“That’s cause they ain’t fucking invited,” Iggy snapped, stalking over to them, with Carl following closely behind.

“The fuck y’all doing here? We ain’t having none of your shit. The fuck you want?” Iggy demanded. 

“Calm the fuck down, Iggy. We came to the wedding. Just wanna see Mick get married. That’s all,” Jamie said with as much sincerity as was possible for him.

Joey piped in, “We didn’t come to start no trouble, Ig. Just wanna see him get married. Same as your ass. Same as Mandy. We’re his fucking family, too, man”.

Warning bells were going off in Carl’s head. Shit didn’t compute. But he decided to stand down, let Iggy handle it for now. For now.

“You do know he’s marrying Red, don’t you? A dude”?

“Fuck you, Iggy. ‘Course we know he’s marrying Red. Fuck’s wrong with your dumb ass, man?” Joey spat.

“We just wanna come to the wedding like everybody else here. Gonna let us in or not, asshole?” Jamie asked in frustration.

Carl stepped up and stood next to Iggy, “Already texted Mickey, man. He’s on his way,” he said as he sized the two brothers up. He didn’t trust their asses at fucking all.

A minute later, Mickey skidded to a stop in front of them and demanded, “The fuck y’all want? You know where the fuck you at? Start shit out here your ass will be arrested before you know what the fuck happened. You need to fucking leave. Now”.

Jamie took a step forward, hands up, “Wait a fucking minute, Mick. We just wanna attend the fucking wedding. Be included and shit. We ain’t got no ill will toward you and Gallagher. Just wanna see y’all tie the fucking knot. Celebrate with you and shit. We’re your family, too. Same as that asshole over there and Mandy,” he paused for breath, not used to saying that much at any one time.

“We even bought new clothes and shit, went to the fucking barbershop and shit,” Joey said proudly, pointing at their clothes.

Mickey rolled his eyes, as he looked at them with skepticism. But they were wearing new jeans, button down shirts and fucking brand new tennis shoes. He laughed inwardly, these low life motherfuckers.

He said, “Ok, you can stay. Start shit and I’ll kill you my damn self. Don’t fucking test me, man”.

“Thanks, Mick. Just wanna try to make up for all the shit we took part in. We took the shit too fucking far. We knew it was wrong, but Terry’s ass said do it, we did it. Any fucking thing he said. Like fucking lap dogs. That’s on us, we knew better. We fucking knew better, Mick. Truth is, we don’t give a shit who you fuck, how you fuck ‘em. Just trying to ask for your forgiveness here, Mickey,” Jamie said.

Joey cleared his throat, “Yeah, what he said, Mickey”.

Mickey studied them intently, and grinned, “Fuck y’all. Come on in. Enjoy your fucking selves,” he turned away, texting Ian what was going on as he hurried off.

He found Charles and explained that they had two unexpected guests. Charles assured him they could be accommodated. 

Charles hurried off to talk to the caterer, proud that Mickey singled him out to handle this latest development.


	4. The Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian, along with most of the guests are shocked speechless before the vows are exchanged.
> 
> More uninvited guests show up.
> 
> Some guests have private thoughts.

Mickey and Ian stood side by side, arms linked, ready to walk down the aisle together. Like they did everything. Together. 

They adamantly refused when it was suggested that they should spend the night before their wedding apart, because of tradition.  
Mickey said, “I go wherever he goes. Fuck tradition”.  
Ian agreed wholeheartedly. 

Ian was nervous and he wondered why Mickey was so fucking composed. Cool as a fucking cucumber.

The music started and Ian looked at Mickey and smiled. But Mickey was wearing a shit eating grin. As if he was waiting for something. What the fuck? 

They had gone over the ceremony last night. Ian had every detail memorized. Mickey was the one always getting shit confused. 

Well, he couldn’t worry about it now. He prepared to step out, as Luther started to sing.

Wait a minute. That’s not Luther Vandross. That’s not Luther’s voice. Ian knew that for a fact, he chose the fucking song. Mickey had been mum on the subject of the wedding march. 

He listened closely trying to figure out was going on. The words were right, but the voice was wrong. What the actual fuck? 

That’s Mickey’s voice. His Mickey. Mickey was singing the wedding song? He recorded their wedding song? How? When? They were gonna walk down the aisle to get married to Mickey’s voice. Mickey was serenading him as they walked down the aisle together. Well, fuck if he didn’t love that man. 

He looked over at Mickey, mouth hanging open. Mickey leaned over and kissed it closed. He said, “I love you, Ian. Gonna spend every day for the rest of my life, making sure you know it. You stuck with me, man. Gave me another chance. You believed in us, in our love. I’ll never make you regret it, baby”.

Ian was crying, leaning his head on Mickey’s shoulder, “I love you too, Mickey. I’ve always loved you. I will never give up on you. You belong to me,” he said as tears fell steadily from his eyes.  
Mickey held him tightly and shushed him.

The guests were preoccupied with the song, too. They were casting questioning glances at each other. That wasn’t Luther singing. Was it? The voice was familiar. Sounded like Mickey. Hell. No. Can’t be. Mickey can’t sing. No fucking way.

“You ready to do this, baby?” Mickey asked softly. 

Ian nodded and wiped his eyes, too overcome with emotion to speak. Hell, he didn’t even know if his legs would work.  
Mickey leaned over and kissed him softly, “I love you so much, man. I got you. Lean on me, baby”.  
He wrapped his arm tightly around Ian’s waist and led him down the aisle. 

As they walked, Mickey held onto Ian, as his own voice serenaded them all the way to the altar. 

Ian cried softly, as Mickey sang of his love and devotion, for all to hear. He had never felt so loved, so cherished. He leaned on his man, and his man held him up.

One look in your eyes and there I see  
Just what you mean to me  
Here in my heart I believe  
Your love is all I'll ever need  
Holdin' you close through the night  
I need you, yeah  
I look in your eyes and there I see  
What happiness really means  
The love that we share makes life so sweet  
Together we'll always be  
This pledge of love feels so right  
And, ooh, I need you  
Here and now  
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)  
You're all I need  
Here and now  
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), hey  
Your love is all (I need) I need  
Say, yeah, yeah  
When I look in your eyes, there I'll see  
All that a love should really be  
And I need you more and more each day  
Nothin' can take your love away  
More than I dare to dream  
I need you  
Here and now  
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)  
You're all I need  
Here and now  
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), yeah  
Your love is all I need  
Ooh, and I'm starting now  
I believe (I believe in love), I believe  
(Starting here) I'm starting right here  
(Starting now) Right now because I believe in your love  
So I'm glad to take the vow  
Here and now, oh  
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)  
You're all I need  
Here and now, yeah  
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), yeah  
Your love is all I need

Everyone gasped in wonder as the two men proceeded to the altar. They had never seen a more beautiful sight.

Sara and Mandy helped Mickey arrange the recording. Sara rented a studio and a producer. No one else knew about it. Mickey wanted to surprise Ian, make their wedding day even more special for him.

Charles was so overcome with emotion, he had to rest his head on his date’s shoulder. It was so beautiful. They were so in love. He had witnessed Mickey doing all he could to make up for the hurt he caused Ian. He watched him show Ian how sorry he was for cheating with that stupid guy. He made a mistake and he regretted it. As far as Charles was concerned, you had to respect that. Ian loved him so much. Just look at him, his love is shining through, you can’t miss it. What better tribute to the person you love, than to serenade them down the aisle. What a beautiful voice Mickey has. He took that damn song and made it his own. It was his song to Ian, a song to the man he loves. Charles put his fist up to his mouth to stifle a sob. Be happy, my friends. Forever. And they were his friends. They welcomed him into their intimate circle, and he was grateful. They welcomed his help with their wedding as if he belonged, as if they expected him to be a part of it. His date squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and smiled at him. 

Tears flowed unchecked from Lip’s eyes. He was anything but stupid. He knew he was witnessing true love. A fucking miracle. Something you witnessed once in your life, if you’re lucky. Something you will remember for the rest of your fucking life. Mickey does love him. Hats off to you, Milkovich. Good on you, you thug. I wish you both well. Stay happy, little brother.

Fiona was crying openly, not bothering to wipe her tears away. You did good brother. You were right to stand up for your man. I wish you and Mickey well. 

Grayson, Mickey’s employee, was crying unashamedly. He had never been to a gay wedding. Didn’t know too many fucking gay people, but he loved Mickey. He took a chance on him when he got out of prison. Helped him turn his fucking life around. He’d hurt anybody for his boss. He was happy to see him so in love.

Trevor stood in the back, after quietly sneaking in. He heard about the wedding and wanted to see for himself. And he saw. He saw more than he bargained for. He saw real love. No fucking doubt about it. They were in love. For keeps, no bullshit there. You did good, Gallagher. I wish you and Mickey well. He left quietly before the vows were exchanged.

Theo held Jerry tightly, as he wept with raw emotion, “Theo, look. Look at that. Do you see them? You ever seen anything more beautiful”?  
Theo said, “No baby. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s truly beautiful. They’re loving each other. They mean that shit”.  
John crossed him mind briefly. The fool thought he could compete with shit like that? He wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t fucking recognize.  
Carl was standing at the altar letting his tears fall freely. He was so happy for them. He knew something of their struggle, and he admired them for coming through intact. Still fucking together. He knew he was witnessing true love. Fucking pure love. He was so proud to stand up for his brother, in his mind, he was standing up for Mickey, too. He loved them both. He would never forget how Mickey took care of his brother. Yeah, he was standing up for them both. He fucking believed in them.

Iggy was sobbing as he watched his brother declare his love for his man. He’d never seen no shit like that before. But he knew fucking beauty when he saw it. He knew love when he saw it. He was so glad to be a part of it. He knew those two had been loving each other for a long ass time. He could track it back to the fucking beginning. He remembered when Red held that fucking shotgun on them while Mickey whaled on Terry’s sorry ass with that bat. He had no doubt that Red would’ve blown all their asses to kingdom come before he let them touch Mickey. After all that shit, and other vile shit, Mickey gave him a job. Gave him a fucking chance to make something outta his sorry ass. Yeah, he was fucking happy for his baby brother, and he’d fight any fucker that fucked with him or his man. 

Sara, Mandy, Debbie, Mrs. Berry, Liam, and Kev’s two girls were sitting up front. Sara and Mandy were in tears as they watched Mickey lead Ian down the aisle. 

Sara had her arm around Mrs. Berry’s shoulders, as the older woman wept openly and whispered that she loved the boys so much and wished them a lifetime of happiness. 

Debbie had been out of town for work during most of the wedding preparations, but they kept her in the loop. She and Sara had grown to like each other. 

Sara had tons of acquaintances and associates, but few friends. She never felt the need for them. After her husband died, she closed herself off, immersed herself in her work. Then she met Mickey, and she was content, then she had Ian. They were enough for her. They were the people she chose to spend her time with. They were the people she depended on, the people she chose to help. They were the people she chose to be her family, the people she chose to love.  
But the more time she spent with these two young women from the south side, the more she realized she needed female companionship. Women she could call and just chat, bullshit with. Women that were glad to talk to her, that didn’t want shit from her, just her friendship, her advice. She always knew that Mickey was a godsend. He had expanded her horizon. Because of him, she had a circle of friends now. People she could depend on.

Mandy looked over at Sara and smiled. She thought about their first meeting. How fucking ugly she acted. Sara was right, she did resent her for helping Mick. She was jealous. She didn’t think he deserved it. No one bothered to help her. What was so special about his ass? He had Ian, and he had Sara, too? And she didn’t have shit.  
But then, when she started helping her own damn self, everyone wanted to help her. All that time, she had been in her standing in her own damn way, busy blaming everybody else. All she had to do was take a chance on herself. When she called to apologize to Sara, Sara apologized to her for being presumptuous. It took a while, but they were friends now. They enjoyed spending time together. She even spent some weekends at Sara’s house. Sara took her shopping, helped her to develop her very own sense of style. At first, it was hard for her to accept things from Sara.  
Sara told her, “I spend my money however I choose. I can afford things that you can’t. That’s just the way it is right now, Mandy. Like I told your brother years ago, I don’t shop at Walmart. You need to accept the way things are and move on. Simple”.  
She had come to know that when Sara ended a statement with ‘simple’, it was fucking over. No more discussion. She, Ian, and Mickey laughed about it all the time. She was grateful to have Sara in her life, and it was because of Mick. She was so happy for him and Ian. They were so in love. She shuddered when she thought about how jealous she had been. But they had forgiven her and folded her into their family unit. She fucking had it all. 

Never one to be ashamed of his feelings, Kev let the tears fall freely as he watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. Mickey was showering his man with love and devotion. He thought back to when they were kids, when they thought nobody knew they were fucking. But he always knew.  
He even knew when they got serious about each other. They didn’t know it then, but the rest of their fucking lives had been set back then. Ian got there first, and Mickey fought it. Fought it hard. But when he got there, he was there. He was fucking there. He meant that shit. They stood the fucking test, all kinds of shit happened to them. But they fought through it. Together. Now look at ‘em. Before God and everybody. Every fucking body. Y’all done good. 

Vee was overcome with emotion. She always thought they were a peculiar match. But she watched them closely over the years. That shit they had was unshakable. They always fought like hell to get back together. She always had a soft spot for Ian. Look at him, leaning on his man. Be happy boys. Be fucking happy. 

John stood at the very back. He didn’t want to be seen. He just had to see for himself. He thought that seeing Mickey and Ian exchange vows would be the catalyst he needed to forget Mickey, get him out of his system. He kept in touch with a couple people from the office, they had worked together for years. They mostly emailed and followed each other on Facebook. He found out about the wedding on Facebook.  
He stood watching Mickey serenade Ian down the aisle. Unlike most other guests, he knew Mickey was singing when the song began. He’d know Mickey’s voice anytime, anywhere. He was so in love with him still.  
He stood silently and watched true love on display. He never stood a chance against that. Mickey loved Ian and Ian loved Mickey.  
Like Theo told him, that shit was set a long time ago. When they fell in love back when they were kids, they fucking meant it. Forever. He didn’t need to wait for the vows. I wish you well, Mickey. Be happy, my love. He turned around and quickly walked away. 

His vision was clouded with tears, he bumped into Trevor who was in a big hurry to leave, as well. They apologized to each other and quickly went in separate directions. 

John took an Uber to O’Hare, and Trevor quickly walked to his car and headed back to the center to check on the kids that depended on him. 

When the couple made it to the altar where their brothers stood waiting, the guests broke with tradition and clapped enthusiastically, while simultaneously wiping tears away. 

The grooms faced the audience and smiled before turning back to face Tolliver, the officiant.  
Tolliver and his husband owned Ian’s favorite flower shop. 

“Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to an event years in the making. Let me hear you, now! Are you ready for Ian and Mickey to finally get married?” Tolliver boomed, smiling.

He was answered with wild cheers, whoops, and whistles.

After everyone settled down, the Tolliver began, “Ian and Mickey selected a reading that is of great significance to them”. 

He read,  
“Same Sex Marriage Ruling  
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It is so ordered."

\- Justice Anthony Kennedy  
June 26, 2015

Everyone listened with rapt attention, many of them had never even heard of the ruling. Today they listened and they understood the significance of the ruling. They understood that the ruling made this day possible. They understood that those words gave the two men standing at the altar, the right to profess their love before God and men.  
After the reading, a hush fell over the crowd, followed by rapturous applause, led by the two best men.

Ian and Mickey turned to face their guests with radiant smiles. 

Mrs. Berry, Theo and Jerry, Charles and his date, among others were overcome with a fresh wave of tears, fully understanding the changes the ruling had brought about, the freedom that they now had to marry if they chose to do so.  
Jamie and Joey grinned at each other. They never even heard of marriage equality. But they quickly decided it was a fucking good thing if it led to this shit. They never knew that marriage was a fucking celebration. It always signaled doom and gloom where they came from. They sat up, eager to see what the fuck was gonna happen next. This is the shit right here.

Tolliver smiled at Ian, “Mickey sneaked this reading in for you, Ian”. 

Ian was stunned speechless for the second time in less than an hour. Mickey had hijacked the fucking ceremony. 

How did I not notice what his slick ass was up to? Walking around like he was fucking bored with it all. Like he didn’t give a fuck what we did. Like he just wanted it all to be over with. Asshole.

He looked over at the man he loved and and beamed. Mickey wore that same shit eating grin from earlier.

Tolliver read Mickey’s selection, 

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hands, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."  
by, Pablo Neruda

Ian stood absorbing the words, letting their meaning wash over him. He looked at Mickey and smiled. 

There were audible oohs and ahs.

Ian looked at Mickey in wonder. The man fucking amazed him.

After everyone settled, Tolliver introduced the vows, “The grooms are here to marry each other. No one else’s will can create such a union. It is their words, their intentions, their vision, that must define and shape this marriage. 

So, I call upon them now to state their promise before this group, the pledges that will bind them together”.

“Mickey, as you look into Ian’s eyes, please say your vows”.

Mickey brought Ian’s hands to his lips and kissed them tenderly as he locked eyes with him, 

“Ian, when I think of my life, I think of you. When I think of my past, I think of you. When I think of my future, I think of you. You’re written in every chapter of my life story. You loved me when I couldn’t love myself. You accepted me when I couldn’t accept myself. You are my anchor, you are my solace. You are my everything. I’ve told you before, and I’ll continue to tell you, the best years of my life have all been spent with you. You are the strongest, bravest person I know. You have always fought for me, for us, for our love. You saw something in me when we were kids, something that told you I was worth the trouble, worth all the heartache. You saw what I was capable of before I even knew that I had capabilities. You held onto that belief down through the years, you held fast to it, my sweet love. You were determined to make me see it, determined to make everyone see what you saw. You refused to give up on me, no matter what obstacles life threw in our path, no matter how far apart we strayed. You came back for me, refused to give up on me. We stood together and we fought the good fight, baby. I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life being the man you deserve, the husband you deserve. I will love you and support you through it all. That is my solemn pledge to you, Ian. I love you with all my heart".

Tolliver said, “Ian, as you look into Mickey’s eyes, please say you vows”. 

Ian was shaking so badly, he wasn’t sure he could speak. Mickey’s surprises had thrown him the fuck off. 

Mickey understood, he always understood what Ian needed. He reached out and gently stroked Ian’s cheek, and he calmed instantly. 

He smiled at Mickey, “Mickey, I have loved you for so long, I can’t remember ever not loving you. As far back as 3rd grade, you’ve always been there. Even when you weren’t there physically, you were there, Mick, you were always in my heart. You are all I ever wanted, my every dream, my every hope. To be loved by you, is my greatest honor, you love unconditionally, you love hard, and you love forever. Your love is the purest love there is, and it’s all for me. Thank you for loving me, baby. Your love is all I’ll ever need. We’ve been through the fire, but like tempered steel, our love is tough, solid, made to last forever. I will always take care of you, Mickey. I’ll be strong when you’re weak, I’ll always be there for you to lean on. I promise to demonstrate my love and commitment to you every single day for the rest of my life. That is my solemn pledge to you, Mickey. I love you with all my heart. You have made me the happiest man in the world”. 

They smiled as they gently wiped tears from the other’s face. The audience was transfixed. This was truly the wedding of the fucking century. 

Theo kissed Jerry’s cheek, “You’re going to cry yourself sick, sweetheart. Try to take it easy”.  
“I can’t help it. This is the most beautiful ceremony I’ve ever attended. Such a great love”.  
“I know baby, it’s amazing. But you’ve gotta try to calm down a bit”. 

Charles’ date looked at him curiously, “You’re really close with your boss, huh? Are you personal friends”?  
Charles sniffed, fighting a fresh wave of tears, “Yes, I’m friends with them both”.

Sara folded Mrs. Berry tightly in her arms and said, “This is the most beautiful thing in the world, isn’t it Mrs. Berry”?  
“It certainly is, dear. It certainly is. They’re such good young men. I love them so much. So glad to be part of their life”.  
“Me too, Mrs. Berry. Me, too”.

Tolliver cleared his throat, “The grooms will now exchange rings to symbolize their commitment. These rings are made of precious metals, purified by the heat of many fires. They are a symbol of the wealth that resides inside each of you and the purity of your love for one another”.

“Mickey, please take Ian’s hand and repeat these words”,

Mickey took Ian’s hands and smiled as he repeated, “Ian, you are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend. I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love”.  
He slipped the ring on Ian’s finger.

“Ian, please take Mickey’s hand and repeat these words,”

Ian took Mickey’s hand with a tender smile and repeated, “Mickey, you are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend. I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love”.  
Ian slipped a ring that matched his own, onto Mickey’s finger.

“Mickey and Ian, you have professed your love by exchanging vows. You have symbolized your love by exchanging rings. With all this, there is just one more question I need each of you to answer”, Tolliver intoned with twinkling eyes, pausing for a beat. 

“Mickey and Ian, of all the people you know, you have chosen one another as life partners. Are you ready to be married? If so, say we are”.

They smiled at each other through their tears and said together, “We are”.

Tolliver beamed, “I now pronounce you husbands. You may now kiss your husband”.

They embraced and shared a long, sweet, gentle kiss. 

Tolliver laughed as they reluctantly ended the kiss, “And now, to all the friends and family who have come here to celebrate this union, I take great pleasure in presenting for the first time anywhere, the united couple, Mickey and Ian”. 

Everyone erupted in cheers and applause, as the happy couple took their first steps as husbands to Stevie Wonder belting out Signed, Sealed, & Delivered. 

Late the next evening, the newlyweds disembarked the ferry on Saba Island in Caribbean. They wanted to spend their two-week honeymoon in relative seclusion, they wanted to be alone, with each other. 

When Sara suggested the island, pointing out that the island’s population was less than 2,500, they were sold. 

They booked what was advertised as the ultimate suite. Mickey said, “We’re going big, baby. It’s our fucking honeymoon. Once in a lifetime and shit”. 

Their suite occupied the entire top floor of the building, with every amenity imaginable. They quickly decided that the jacuzzi and the four-poster, king size bed were their favorite things. 

Later that night, Mickey wrapped his arm around Ian’s waist and pulled him close, as they stood on their balcony taking in the exquisite view of the Caribbean Sea surrounding them. He knew that Ian was tired, the flight was seven hours and the ferry ride nearly two hours. 

“Baby, I think we should turn in early, been a long day. We were up late last night. Get a fresh start in the morning”.

“I’m not too tired, Mickey. Don’t wanna waste a minute of our honeymoon. When we get back, we’ll be busy with work and shit. Now it’s just us. Wanna it enjoy it all”.

“I know, baby, and we will. Just wanna take care of you, make sure you don’t over-do. We got two whole weeks here”.

Ian rolled his eyes and extended his hand, “Ok husband. Take your husband to bed”.

Mickey laughed, “Ok husband. Come to bed with your husband”.

They laughed as they made their way to their honeymoon bed, looking forward to a lifetime of love and happiness.


End file.
